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Old Woman Statue Rock Climbing

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North Face of Old Woman Statue, The T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C0+

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Elevation:	4,697 ft	1,432 m
GPS:	34.52164, -115.16511 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	761 total · 16/month
Shared By:	Dave Daly on Feb 27, 2022
Admins:	C Miller, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

For those who seek obscurities in extreme remote settings, this objective has your name written all over it!

Tucked in the Old Woman Mountain Wilderness (remotely located between Hwy's 62 and 40), the Old Woman Statue is an eye-catching pinnacle that begs the attention of the ever fanatical peakbagger, with both free and aid climbing opportunities.

When viewed from the east, this monolithic structure reselmbles the figure of an old woman draped in a shawl, hunched at the shoulders. The Mojave Indians first spotted this lone figure and identified "her" as 'Nomopeoits' (pronounced "no-mopo-wits"), which simply means "old woman".

In 1961, it was first sought out as an objective of the Sierra Club's Desert Peaks Section but didn't see a true first ascent until 1970 by first ascentionist, Dick Sykes, by means of direct aid.

Since that first ascent, the Old Gal sees very few visitors at her lonely desert lookout. But for those who endure the long desert approach and the near 2-mile hike up to her "hem line", she will reward you with her whispered stories of centuries gone by.

Getting There

From the parking/camping area (UTM 671130E, 3821100N), hike NW, using the toe of a ridgeline marked by "red" rock as a reference. Pass over this toe and into a drainage, navigating the path of least resistance upward toward a saddle (south of point 1429m).

The saddle south of Point 1429.Pass over the saddle. This will be your first intial view of the Old Woman Statue to the west. Contour along a ridgeline that heads west then bends to the southwest while maintaining consistant elevation with the base of the Old Woman Statue. The last section of the approach to the base becomes a bit of a scramble through rocks and foliage. Aim for a notch/pseudo saddle on the north side of the Old Woman Statue. Once up on top of the "saddle", scramble to the south and climb up 3rd class terrain by scrabmling over a chockstone in a crack and onto a series of short ledges which eventually leads to a small notch at the base of the northwestern side of the statue. At the notch, there is a left facing crack corner. This is the start of the only route upon The Old Woman (5.7 C0+).

The Old Woman Statue is located in the 146,000 acre Old Woman Mountain Wilderness, managed by the BLM Resource Office in Needles, CA. There are no current hiking or camping restrictions. No permits are needed. Any questions regarding the management of this wilderness, the BLM office can be reached at (619) 326-3896.

Topos: 15' Topo - Essex, 7.5' Old Woman Statue (UTM Zone 11)